Howard Epps
Howard Epps was a serial killer. Background Howard had an estimated IQ of 180. His mother, Marianne Epps, had a glandular condition which made her highly obese. She was highly religious and tried to raise him the same way and keep him "pure". Whenever he went out with women, all of which his mother felt were "loose", she would make him bathe in ammonia "to wash off their smell". She also physically abused him regularly and would later lament not beating him more frequently. In adulthood, Howard became a serial killer. He was arrested after killing one of his victims﻿, April Wright. Since the other bodies were not found, no connection was made. Most of his victims were blonde teenage girls, and Epps would later tell Brennan that no young woman was 'pure'. Despite this there is no indication that he ever made his victims suffer Dr. Temperance Brennan: For all your faults, Mr. Epps, you were never interested in letting your victims suffer. You didn't torture them. You're not that kind of man. She's an innocent child. Howard Epps: She's a young woman. And there's no such thing as an innocent woman. Look within yourself, you know I'm right. Season One Epps was introduced in the episode, A'' Man on Death Row, where he was a prisoner scheduled to be executed in two days, while his lawyer enlisted Brennan and Booth to try and clear his name. They were successful in delaying his execution pending a further review of the evidence, but this was only after discovering, after tracing the location where the murder he was accused of had been committed, that he was not only guilty, but had killed multiple other victims; the execution was only delayed to try him for the other murders. While being questioned in the end of the episode, Epps explained that he read Brennan's book and saw a way out when he learned that she was working with Booth, who caught him the first time. After "Thanking" Doctor Brennan and Agent Booth for extending his life, as he had planned, Brennan turns to leave in disgust. As she does, Epps moves to grab her wrist. She responds by grabbing ''his wrist, and slamming it against the corner of the interview table, breaking it. She then walks away, without another word or backward glance. Dr. Temperance Brennan: He touched me with his creepy serial killer hands. Interim The prison doctors failed to properly set his wrist, which would later cause him some amount of pain. He began a relationship with a woman named Caroline, who knew he was guilty, but believed him to be a good person underneath it all. There's really only one thing to do around here, and I kind of need my wrist for it. Season Two Epps' second appearance was in episode ''The Blonde in the Game, where he is still in jail, but has been directing an accomplice, named Gil Lappin, to continue his crimes in his absence, leaving clues for Brennan and the team to solve to lead them to the next victims. When Brennan and Booth corner Gil, Brennan is forced to shoot him to save the lives of Booth and the final victim. When questioned, Epps reveals that the objective of "the game" was to force Brennan to kill, something she has never done before, thus 'proving' his point about women all being guilty. As Epps had planned, Brennan feels deeply guilty for killing the man, but she eventually comes to terms with it thanks to Booth's advice. In his final appearance of the series, The Man in the Cell, Epps successfully escapes from prison during a fire by killing a fireman, stealing his uniform, and leaving the body in his own cell. After Epps' escape, he becomes obsessed with Brennan. Using mind games, he makes her feel responsible for the deaths of his victims. He tests her and the rest of her team by leaving clues for them to discover, decipher, and follow to more victims; one of whom was Epps' ex-wife, Caroline, who broke it off with him after the events of The Blonde in the Game. He also leaves traps in the clues; Zack is caught in an explosion and Cam nearly dies during Caroline's autopsy after inhaling a deadly toxin that was hidden in the head. After being cornered in Brennan's apartment by her and Booth, Epps jumps off the balcony. He is temporarily spared from death by Booth, who grabs his hand as he falls over the railing. In the end, however, Epps lets go of Booth's hand which results in him falling to his death when Booth can no longer hold on. Booth had some trouble coping with his guilt over his self-perceived role in Epps's death, but he eventually overcame this with the aid of psychiatrist Doctor Gordon Wyatt, who helped him recognize that he could have done nothing to save Epps and that letting go of him was totally unintentional and inevitable. Modus Operandi Howard targeted blondes in their late teens and early 20s (because he associated them with purity) and would kill them by bludgeoning them with a tire iron. Afterwards, he would tie the hands and feet of the bodies together and bury them face-down. His accomplice, Gil Lappin, copied his M.O. and victim type almost perfectly, though he would also torture his victims by suspending them upside-down before killing them. Known Victims *One unnamed victim *Tami Randal *Lauren Hathaway *April Wright *Donald Kent (firefighter; killed and burned for his uniform) *Caroline Mapother-Epps (his ex-wife; decapitated) *Camille Saroyan (poisoned but later cured) *Zack Addy (almost blown up, but saved by Booth) *Temperance Brennan (attempted) Victims by Proxy The following were targeted by Gil Lappin *Sarah Koskoff (hung upside down tortured and blugeoned to death) *Helen Majors (attempted) Category:Characters Category:Recurring characters Category:Season 1 characters Category:Season 2 characters Category:Serial Killers Category:Deceased characters Category:Criminals